Always Need You
by Ciara in cotton socks
Summary: The 2nd of May seems like the perfect day for a wedding: the anniversary of the fall of Tom Riddle, the liberation of the wizarding world and the bride's birthday.  Unfortunately Victoire Weasley has forgotten the significance the day has for her groom.


**A/N: Though I wish I could claim the ingenious idea of writing stories inspired by the beautiful songs of Melissa Polinar, it was in fact the brainchild of Vanity Sinning. This is part of my entry to her 'The Next Generation Musical Competition' on the HPFC forum. Each contestant was given five songs by a particular artist (in my case, Melissa Polinar) and had to write five different stories based on them about the same next generation characters. Mine, as you can see, are Teddy Lupin and Victoire Weasley, and this oneshot incorporates lyrics from the song 'Always Need You', from which it also takes its title.**

**This is the final one-shot of my five (the first four being 'Say You'll Stay', 'Try', 'Honestly' and 'Meant to Be' respectively), and all feedback, both positive and constructively critical, is more than welcome. I hope you enjoy!**

**Kisses,**

**Ciara**

**/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/**

It was the perfect day for a wedding; the 2nd of May, the anniversary of the final fall of Lord Voldemort and the liberation of the wizarding world. The excitement was palpable, almost quantifiable in the excited chatter and jewel bright colours which invaded the beach in front of Shell Cottage. The wedding was a simple affair, with only the closest family and friends of the bride and groom invited. The bride's mother sat next to the groom's grandmother, both of them sniffling into scraps of lace and looking resplendent. Brightly coloured dress robes and hats were all that could be seen on the picturesque little beach, which had been transformed for the occasion. A large white gazebo stood at one end of the sandy shore before the neat rows of white pews, with a tufty-haired little man waiting to get the ceremony started. The setting was idyllic.

At the start of the makeshift aisle, however, things were not going to plan. The lone bridesmaid was looking frantic, nibbling on her lower lip so hard she was almost drawing blood, while the flower girl and page boy fidgeted uncomfortably. The bride's father kept shooting glances back up at the house furtively, and the bride was tearful.

"Where is he?" Victoire whispered to her father, nervously smoothing down the full skirt of her wedding dress. She felt horribly constricted in the tight corset and with her hair piled high in an intricate spiralling up-do. Bill gave a slight shrug of his shoulders. "I'm the one who's supposed to be late, not him! Oh Merlin, where _is _he?"

"Do you want me to go have a look up at the house?" Dominique suggested. She looked resplendent in a teal bridesmaid's dress and sky-high silver stilettos, and she wore a feathered headband in her long blonde hair, but her face was marred by an anxious expression.

"No, no Dom, it's fine," Victoire said distractedly. "I need you to keep the children under control. I knew Uncle George shouldn't have given them all those sweets, I knew it. Daddy, this is a disaster. He's not coming, he's had enough, he-"

"Loves you," her father finished calmly. He took his eldest daughter's pale oval-shaped face in his broad hands and smiled softly. "You know how hard this day is for Teddy, he's probably just a bit overwhelmed by it all."

"Oh Merlin," Victoire whispered, realisation crashing over her like a wave from the sea currently lapping gently against the rocks lining the sea shore. "I didn't even think, I... Oh, what is _wrong_ with me? I couldn't have been more selfish, could I? I've just been giving out and he's... he's... Daddy, can you stall please? Just for a couple of minutes?"

"Come again? Vic, love, what are you...?"

He hadn't even finished his question before Victoire was gone, rushing back up the hill to the cottage with her skirt hitched up high above her knees. A scandalised murmur broke out almost immediately, and the snapping of an old-fashioned Muggle camera was heard. Bill and Dominique looked desperately at each other, unsure of what to do. Then Dominique nodded and Bill clapped his hands together slowly.

"Sorry about this folks, looks like we've got ourselves a bit of a delay..."

/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/

Victoire knew where to look without even thinking it through properly. She raced through the front gate, bedecked with beautiful wildflowers Rose and Lily had picked from a nearby meadow, and hurtled around the side of the house. She didn't care about getting her dress dirty, beautiful as it was; that was her mother and Dominique's field of expertise. Victoire was more comfortable in Quidditch robes and pads than ivory satin and high heels. She tore the ancient goblin-made tiara from her strawberry blonde curls and twisted it nervously in her hands as she rounded the corner. Sure enough, there he was at the bottom of the garden with his back to her. Victoire kicked off her shoes and stepped gingerly across the dewy grass towards her husband-to-be.

"Teddy," she said softly as she reached him, placing a satin-gloved hand on his suit-clad arm. "Are you OK?"

Her husband-to-be turned away from the small, simple grave nestled at the back of the garden among the pretty foliage. He was pale and his hair had faded to a mousy brown colour. Victoire felt a tug in her chest as she saw the tears in his eyes.

"Oh Teddy."

"He was a war hero," Teddy said with a small smile, gesturing to the grave of Dobby the elf. "Just like my parents. I know everyone's waiting, but they died on this date Vic. I just wanted to be with them for a couple of minutes, and this was the best place I could think of. I'm too nervous to Apparate properly, and you're out of Floo powder, so I just figured I could be close to them... here."

"It's a lovely idea," Victoire said, stroking his arm comfortingly and resting her head against his shoulder. "Just like my birthday, twelve years ago now isn't it? You remember?"

"Of course I do," Teddy smiled. "Which reminds me, happy birthday Vic."

"It will be," she agreed. "In a couple of hours, at least."

/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/

"_Victoire!"_

"_Yes Mum?"_

"_We are going to cut ze cake now, eez everybody here?"_

_Eleven-year-old Victoire Weasley glanced around the crowded living room of Shell Cottage. Her closest family and friends were gathered in the small space, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the birthday cake her Grandma Weasley had baked for the occasion. Victoire was dressed in a pale pink dress with a full skirt and shiny silver ballet pumps, her strawberry blonde hair teased and coiffed into perfectly angelic curls. She was miserable as she scanned the living room, fidgeting with the itchy netting in the underskirt of her dress. Her Uncle George had brought the younger children out to play in the sand on the beach earlier, but Victoire had been banned from taking part for fear of ruining her dress. She wasn't impressed. After quickly glancing around the room, she had the feeling that somebody was missing. All of her aunts and uncles were there, except for Uncle Charlie who wouldn't be home from Romania until Christmas. Her Grandma and Grandpa Weasley were there too, and her Grandm__è__re Delacour had taken a Portkey to be with her. Lucy was sniffling into her mother's skirt and Molly was reading a picture book next to the window. Little James and Albus were squabbling in a far corner, and her Aunt Ginny was juggling baby Lily and Hugo, while Fred and Rose clutched at Hermione's legs. Dominique was snuggled up on their daddy's lap and Louis was toddling around the kitchen after Mum._

"_Where's Teddy?" Victoire asked, a frown in her voice. She liked Teddy, even though he wasn't her proper cousin like Molly and the others. He was funny, and he was already in his third year at Hogwarts. A couple of summers ago he had taught her to play Quidditch and she had been addicted to the game ever since, much to her father's delight._

"_I think he's still out in the garden Victoire," her uncle Harry said, glancing out the window. "I'll call him in."_

_Victoire gave a sneaky glance towards the kitchen door; her mum was still occupied with making sure the cake was placed exactly right on the pretty pink tray she had chosen for it. With a mischievous giggle, she kicked off her shoes and raced out the open glass doors into the back garden. _

"_Teddy!" she exclaimed, catching sight of the familiar head of wild hair that changed colour at the drop of a hat. "Teddy, you're going to miss the cake!"_

_He turned around slowly at the sound of her shrill voice and Victoire came to a shuddering halt. He didn't look like the Teddy she liked, the funny, nice one who taught her the best way to throw a Quaffle to catch the opposing Keeper off-guard. His hair was a strange, dark colour she had never seen before and there were hot tears spilling down his face._

"_Teddy, what's the matter? Are you hurt?"_

"_It doesn't matter," said Teddy tonelessly, his gaze falling away from hers, and he turned away from her. "Did you like the Cannons shirt? I got Nana Tonks to order it from Quality Quidditch Supplies."_

"_It's brilliant," she smiled. It was her favourite birthday present. "Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron got me some Muggle book. Peter Pan, I think it's called. And Uncle George gave me a heap of stuff from the joke shop, we can try them out later if you want."_

"_Sounds good," Teddy said, and his voice sounded sort of tight. He gave a little sniffle._

"_What's wrong Teddy?" Victoire tried again. She trudged a little bit closer to him, not caring that her white ankle socks were riddled with grass stains. She heard another sniffle and then saw his shoulders shake like Dominique's did when she got into trouble with their parents. She stood next to him, just close enough that he could feel her arm brushing against his._

"_My mum and dad died on this day, thirteen years ago," he said in a tiny voice._

"_I know," Victoire said. "My uncle Fred did too."_

"_Yeah, Harry told me," Teddy nodded. He sighed wearily in a way that reminded Victoire of her Grandpa Weasley. Tired and old. _

"_Do you miss them?"_

"_Not all the time," Teddy said honestly. "I didn't know them, I was only a baby when it happened. But it always gets to me on the anniversary of their deaths. It's stupid, I know, but I just feel really alone."_

"_But that's silly," Victoire told him. She took his hand in hers like her mum did when she got upset._

"_What?"_

"_That's silly," she repeated, beaming up at him. "You don't ever have to feel alone on the 2__nd__ of May, not ever."_

"_What do you mean, Vic?"_

"_Because it's my birthday, silly. And I don't even like my birthday much, because Mum makes me wear pink and Uncle Percy always has too much to drink and falls asleep on the couch. So what we can do is, every year while they're all taking photographs and eating salad sandwiches, me and you can just grab our brooms and get a Quaffle from the shed and you can teach me new skills. I've been practising, you know."_

"_That sounds nice," Teddy smiled. "Thanks Vic."_

_She beamed and enveloped him in the briefest of bone-crunching cuddles before pulling away and dragging him back up the garden by the hand._

"_Come on, it's chocolate cake this year!"_

/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/

"I need you now," Teddy whispered. "I needed you then, I still need you now, and I will always need you."

"Well that's good," Victoire said seriously. "It would be an awful waste of a wedding if you didn't."

The pair of them shared a quiet chuckle and Victoire laced her fingers through his. She tilted her head up to look him in the eye and she smiled gently.

"Are you going to be alright?" she asked, her tone quiet. "I'm sorry I didn't think of this sooner."

"Don't fret, you'll ruin your makeup, and I shudder to think what Dom will do to you if you do."

"Teddy, all joking aside please. Will you be OK?"

Teddy smiled and gingerly placed his arms around her, careful not to crumple the back of her gown. "I'll be fine Vic, thanks to you. I'm so glad I made up my mind all those years ago to get tangled up with you, even though I didn't deserve you. You make the hole in my chest hurt less. When I'm with you, the edges of it blur and soften, and I don't feel alone."

Victoire gave him a lopsided little smile and a playful jab in the ribs. "Save that sort of talk for the vows," she joked. She reached up with a gloved hand and stroked a stray strand of mousy hair from his face. At her touch, some of the colour started to return to his wan face and his hair began to turn from grey to vibrant turquoise. She beamed. "Much better. Do you want a couple of minutes alone?"

"That'd be nice. Thanks Vic."

"No problem," she said, reluctantly pulling away from him. She turned and walked across the cool grass, pausing only at the gate to shoot him a roguish glance. "Just don't leave me stranded at the altar."

"I could never do that."

/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/

Ten minutes later, and after no more mishaps, Victoire and Teddy stood before the minister. Dominique stood next to her sister, attempting to stem the flow of tears threatening to spill over from her liquid blue eyes, and Fred stood at Teddy's elbow as his best man. The crowd of family and friends sat in quiet anticipation, the only sound that of Hagrid's loud, trumpeting sobs.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen," the tufty-haired man presiding over the ceremony announced. "The bride and groom will exchange vows, which they have written themselves. Theodore, in your own time."

Teddy nodded slowly and took a deep, steadying breath. He turned to face Victoire, who was trembling from head to toe and smiling tearfully.

"Victoire Weasley," he said in a quiet but steady voice. "More than sunshine up in the great big blue, you satisfy my yearning. You're like an arrow out of nowhere. You hit the centre of my heart. I'm not going to look any longer. It's all so clear. Everything pales compared to you, Vic, your love just makes me stronger. Without you, I don't know what I'd be. I've always needed you, I always will, and I can't imagine spending my life with anybody else. I love you more than life itself Victoire, and I can't wait to call you my wife."

He slid the simple wedding band he had chosen onto Victoire's finger and beamed, giving her hand a quick squeeze as he did so. Now it was Victoire's turn. She glanced at Dominique for support. Her little sister nodded encouragingly and patted her forearm in support. Victoire nodded, her face alight with excitement.

"Teddy Lupin," she said, her voice trembling. She paused and took a deep breath before starting again, her voice stronger this time. "Teddy Lupin, you are my everything. I want to climb to the top of a hill somewhere and scream it at the top of my lungs. The rain may come but I don't care, I'm going to keep telling everyone how you make me feel. Your love is good, your love is real. It captures everything I feel, Teddy. I will always need you, always love you. Like Peter Pan, like a shadow tied to your heel, I'll follow wherever you go. You are my life, and I need you unconditionally and irrevocably. Having you as my husband will complete me."

And with that, she slipped Teddy's wedding ring onto his waiting finger. The two of them grinned excitedly at each other and then glanced expectantly at the minister. He smiled broadly at them and clapped his hands together.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," he said in a wheezy voice, to a chorus of delighted gasps from the watching congregation. A couple of tears managed to escape down Victoire's porcelain cheeks. "You may kiss the bride."

"You don't need to tell me twice," Teddy grinned, raising a laugh from the watching crowd. He dipped his head towards his new wife and then grabbed her, sweeping her off her feet and pressing a passionate kiss to her waiting lips. Fred gave a loud wolf-whistle, earning himself a reproving 'Fred _Weasley_!' from his mother. The congregation burst into sporadic applause and rose to their feet as Teddy and Victoire reluctantly broke apart and made their way down the aisle, hand-in-hand. The reception was to be held in the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade, as Shell Cottage was far too small to host such an event. As the new couple reached the final row of pews, they clasped each other's hands tightly and turned, Apparating to the reception and into their new life together. 


End file.
